breastfeeding can save 1.3 million lives

MSNBC

“Teaching new mothers how to breast-feed could save 1.3 million children’s lives every year, but many women get no help and give up trying, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

Fewer than 40 percent of mothers worldwide breast-feed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by the WHO. Many abandon it because they don’t know how to get their baby to latch on properly or suffer pain and discomfort.

“When it comes to doing it practically, they don’t have the practical support,” WHO expert Constanza Vallenas told a news briefing in Geneva, where the United Nations agency is based.

This is a problem in both rich and poor countries, she said, calling for more assistance in hospitals, health clinics and communities for new mothers who need information and help.”